” Many of our students have a long history of regressing in math,” said 41-year-old professor Lim Weiming of Crest Secondary. ” They usually expect to crash. And obviously, it’s an uphill task ( to transform that )”.
Nasir is one of them. ” I don’t know what to do any more”, he said after getting up a maths papers. ” If I try, ( it’s ) still the same”.
Private challenges, including complex family background, also weigh greatly with individuals like , Nasir, who tended to lose remedial classes to care for his younger sister. He felt compelled to lend a helping hand to his family whenever possible because he had eight other relatives living with her.
” After Secondary 2, I lost my motivation because ( I had ) problems at home”, he said. ” That’s why I lose target in school quickly”.
For all their scientific problems, these students also harbour big ambitions. Nasir, for example, hoped to examine jet technology at the ITE as he has loved helicopters since his childhood.